# Church Grid

> A church operations platform for members, events, communication, donations, and reporting.

- Role: Founder & Solo Developer
- Timeline: 2024 to Present
- Technologies: Next.js, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, PostgreSQL, Auth.js
- Live: https://www.churchgrid.app
- Canonical: https://www.joelcsaji.com/portfolio/church-grid

## Problem

Churches juggle spreadsheets for members, separate tools for events, and manual donation workflows. Nothing ties operations together.

## Constraints

Staff are often non-technical and need a calm UI. Member and financial data also need appropriate security.

## Solution

An all-in-one platform: member directory, event scheduling with RSVP, communication tools, and secure giving with reporting, built for ease of use.

## Architecture

Next.js full-stack app with role-based access, a relational database for members and events, secure payment processing with tax receipts, and a real-time layer for announcements.

## Outcome

Live production product that brings core church operations into one connected workflow.

## Results

- Unified member, event, communication, giving, and reporting
- Less reliance on spreadsheets and disconnected tools
- Automated donation and reporting tasks where accuracy matters

## Highlights

- Member directory with family grouping and roles
- Events with reminders and RSVP tracking
- Donations with tax receipt generation
- Communication hub for announcements and follow-ups

## Lessons learned

- Non-technical users need fewer options, not more docs
- Consolidating tools compounds value when data flows between features
- Trust matters more than feature velocity for community tools